House rejects Dem lawmaker’s second attempt to impeach Trump (video)

The House on Friday once again rejected an effort by a Democrat to impeach President Donald Trump as tensions rise ahead of a midnight deadline which requires the passing of a short-term spending deal in order to avoid a shutdown of the federal government.

Rep. Al Green, D.-Texas, who has campaigned for Trump’s impeachment for months, forced a procedural vote on articles of impeachment, which failed by a 355-66 vote, with three Democrats voting “present.”

Green’s effort follows comments last week by Trump during an Oval Office meeting with key lawmakers during which he allegedly described Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as “shithole” countries during discussions addressing immigration reform.

The meeting was also aimed at brokering a deal between Trump and legislators regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, which protects illegal aliens who were brought to the United States as children from deportation and allows them to obtain work permits.

Since the meeting, there has been no agreement regarding DACA, which has led to an impasse that might result in a government shutdown since Democrats are demanding that a DACA fix be included in the short-term spending bill.

Green forced a vote on articles of impeachment in December, which also failed.

According to The Hill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D.-Calif., and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D.-Md., oppose an impeachment effort aimed at Trump at this time, preferring to wait for the outcome of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

The articles of impeachment offered by Green on Friday were similar to those he put forth in December, but updated with Trump’s alleged derogatory comments from last week. Issues raised in the articles include Trump’s travel ban, his effort to prevent transgender people from serving in the military, his attempt to cast equal blame on white supremacists and counter-protesters for violence in Charlottesville, Va., and his criticism of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem in protest against police brutality.

According to Green’s articles of impeachment, Trump has “brought the high office of president of the United States in contempt, ridicule, disgrace and disrepute” and “has sown discord among the people of the United States.”